Inside Politics

Ruto gets new fighters as home boys retreat

Thursday, March 17th, 2022 00:20 | By
Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria with TSP party leader Mwangi Kiunjuri, businessman Jimi Wanjigi and Jibebe party leader William Kabogo on Tuesday at Kasarani stadium during UDA’s National Delegate Conference. PD/john ochieng

Deputy President William Ruto has acquired new faces in his quest to become the country’s fifth President, as older allies from his backyard have taken a backseat with slightly over four months to the August General Election. 

 On Tuesday at Kasarani where he was crowned the UDA presidential candidate, Ruto got the backing of fresh figures that declared support for his bid, injecting impetus to his campaign.

UDA is in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance with Amani National Congress (ANC) and Ford Kenya parties led by Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula, respectively.

 Most of the new entrants, however, are from Mt Kenya region, who he will now bank on as he attempts to lock up the over five million votes in the larger region.

Special recognition

The DP received the support of party leaders Mwangi Kiunjuri (The Service Party), Moses Kuria (Chama Cha Kazi), William Kabogo (Tujibebe Wakenya Party) and Jimi Wanjigi who recently joined Safina party.

Before Tuesday, the leaders had blown hot and cold over the DP’s candidature, some even ruling out possibility of ever working with him.

However, during the NDC, the leaders were accorded special recognition and reception capturing how important they were to the DP’s State House battle.

Once they found comfort in the yellow-themed affair at Kasarani Indoor Arena, the leaders expressed readiness to throw their weight behind Ruto’s first attempt at the presidency, praising him for standing firm against the outgoing regime’s alleged oppression.

  “We will work hard to ensure the victors are those in this building (Kasarani). I have no doubt whatsoever, that we will write history from this gathering. Climbing the mountain is not easy but those of us who are up will help you climb easily,” said Kiunjuri, one of those who had not publicly declared if he would ever support Ruto’s bid, despite strong indications in the past he would do so.

Up to last year, claims had abounded that the DP was considering Kiunjuri; former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary who was sacked in 2020, as his running mate although the possibility has since waned.

 Wanjigi traced his relationship with the DP to 2006 when they first met, revealing he once hid Ruto at his home in Nairobi when members of the proscribed group- Mungiki, were looking for him in 2007.

 “It is Ruto who brought Uhuru to my house (before the 2013 elections),” he said.

 Wanjigi, a former life member of ODM, recently left the party in a huff, after he was denied an opportunity to challenge the outfit’s leader Raila Odinga for the presidential candidature.

 Raila was picked as the Azimio La Umoja presidential candidate last weekend with the full backing of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

 “All Kenyans should reject Azimio. Their politics is about oppression not ideologies. It is not about Raila in Azimio, there is another one who is after a third term against the country’s Constitution…time has come to say no more,” said Wanjigi, whose Safina party will hold its NDC next week and Ruto will be expected to grace it.

Kabogo- the former Kiambu governor, said he had no doubt in his mind who he will support for the top seat in the coming elections, saying Ruto had the credentials to become the country’s fifth leader.

 “No one has coerced me to join Ruto. I am here on my own volition. I would like to tell those feeling bad about my decision, I’m so sorry,” said Kabogo, who revealed he had warned Ruto against sitting pretty waiting for Uhuru’s endorsement.

Kuria has been the most fickle among the new entrants, often expressing willingness to work with Ruto but also tampering such a possibility with claims of his readiness to get other allies.

On Tuesday, he made it clear he will support Ruto and will look for votes for him in the Mt Kenya region.

 Ruiru MP Simon King’ara also became the latest lawmaker from Mt Kenya to shift allegiance to Ruto. He was received at Kasarani. He jumped ship a day after Senators Kimani Wamatangi (Kiambu) and Njeru Ndwiga (Embu) moved to DP’s camp.

 Trans Nzoia Governor Patrick Khaemba also joined Ruto’s camp in Kasarani and would be tasked with popularising UDA in the county.

Peripheral roles

However, his reception at Kasarani was an awkward affair as the second-term governor, who was elected twice on Ford Kenya, jumped ship in front of his party leader Wetang’ula who appeared not to have had any qualms about the governor’s decision.

Khaemba has been hobnobbing with the DP for a while and it was only a matter of time before he joined his camp.

It has also become evident some of the Ruto allies, mostly from the Rift Valley, have adopted a lower profile as his presidential bid shapes up.

Formerly, prominent figures from the region like Senators Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet), Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho), Samson Cherargei (Nandi), MPs Caleb Kositany (Soy), Oscar Sudi (Kapseret) and Joyce Korir (Bomet Woman Rep) among  others, would get lots of airtime in DP’s functions.

Lately, they perform peripheral roles, speaking occasionally in high-profile events. None of them spoke in Kasarani on Tuesday.

Nominated MP Gideon Keter said they had agreed to give enough space to Ruto’s supporters from other regions.

 “It is something we have consulted about. It is for the purposes of accommodation. We are okay when Ruto speaks because he speaks on behalf of Kenya and our behalf. We will allow others to speak,” said Keter, who is seeking the Kuresoi South parliamentary seat.

Ruto also formally recognised Chama Cha Mashinani as one of the parties within Kenya Kwanza Alliance with the party leader Isaac Ruto, among those who spoke during the Tuesday event.

After months of treating the party with caution and at times cynicism, the DP said they were ready to work with it, indicating a mellowing of hardline stance against smaller outfits ready to work with UDA in its strongholds.

CCM leader Ruto, also former Bomet governor, thanked the DP promising to make sure he wins the presidential seat.

 “We will walk this journey with you. We will vote for you as our next President…we believe that we have got to pay attention to the man in the grassroots,” said Ruto, who is seeking to recapture the seat on his party.

With CCM working with UDA it is expected to give Ruto’s outfit a run for its money in the Rift region as it has already been receiving dozens of defectors keen to vie on it for various seats in the next polls.

More on Inside Politics


ADVERTISEMENT

RECOMMENDED STORIES Inside Politics


ADVERTISEMENT